1990s 20c 20th-century ancient ancient-history ancient-rome antiquity bio biography classic classical classical-history classical-studies classics contemporary europe european-literature fiction frana-a-ais france french french-literature gay gay-fiction gorey hadrian hista-a-ria historical historical-fiction historical-novel history home literature memoirs modern modern-lit novel roma roman roman-empire roman-history romans rome spanish world-literature

Written in the form of a testamentary letter from the Emperor Hadrian to his successor, the youthful Marcus Aurelius, this work is as extraordinary for its psychological depth as for its accurate reconstruction of the second century of our era. The author describes the book as a meditation upon history, but this meditation is built upon intensive study of the personal and political life of a great and complex character as seen by himself and his contemporaries, both friends and enemies. Marguerite Yourcenar reconstructs Hadrian's arduous early years, his triumphs and reversals, and his gradual reordering of a war-torn world.